Recognize Exhibit @ the National Portrait Gallery in D.C.

So I'm vacationing in the nation's capital. I visit the district w/some frequency since I have family and lots of friends that live in the area. Sometimes, I check out the cultural scene, but often I don't have the time.

But on this trip, I did get a chance to see a great deal. I had heard about the "Recognize" Exhibit, but the person who mentioned it to me did not seem so impressed. So now you are thinking that I was impressed, and I will say that I really enjoyed it! It was a small exhibit, considering the size of the museum, but I'll take it.

What was there to like about it? Everything. There were still photos of the hip hop icons like KRS-One as well as SuperNatural and DJs Shadow and Cut Chemist and my boy ?uesto from The Roots; there was paintings of LL Cool J and Ice Cube; there was a mixed media piece that paid tribute to some of the fallen hip hoppers like Biggie, Lisa "Left-eye" Lopez and others; a poem by Nikki Giovanni; some film shorts set to hip hop music and several graffiti murals. The website has images of nearly everything that is in the exhibit (in the event that you can't get there, but would like to see how hip hop fits into the major museum scene).

The artists behind the exhibit are incredible. I went w/a friend who is a true art connoisseur. And he gave me the back story on most of the artists especially Kehinde Wiley, whose talent is exceptional. I truly love David Scheinbaum's photography; I could look at it for hours. Just the kind of photographer that captures so much in an image. And who knew that so many hip hop artists make a stop in the Sunshine Theater in New Mexico.

Good stuff ... if you get a chance to see it, definitely take it in. It's there until October 26, 2008 ... and it's free and I know you are down w/that price tag hip hoppers! Get your culture on, kfox.